What is striking when descending the hill towards the sea on the heights of Tardinghen (Pas-de-Calais), is the light of the British coast seen in the distance. But what is taking up more and more space in the town is the state of health of the dune. “We are in a somewhat critical situation where the dune is eroding”, despairs the mayor, Thibaut Segard.
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Tardinghen has been consolidating its dune for several years to try to slow down the advance of the sea. But the mayor knows that it will one day pass on the other side: “The goal is to save time with the idea of finding a lasting solution”. On the French coast, pover 16 000 buildings are threatened by coastal erosion. This concerns 864 municipalities. It is in an attempt to respond to this phenomenon linked to climate change that the congress of the Association of Coastal Elected Officials (ANEL) is being held this week in Grau-du-Roi (Gard).
To Tardinghenthe urgency of the municipality is these three second homes built behind the dune, near the marsh. Houses condemned to medium heat. But Thibaud Segard does not have the means to pre-empt the dwellings : “On paper, I can do it, but in reality, we can’t pay. So for the moment, we are defending to maintain, the time to find solutions. But it’s starting to be urgent and for the moment, nothing is concrete.”
The other project is the rescue of Romain Boulet’s farm, located 300 m from the dune. For two years, this breeder has been trying to relocate his farm further back. But there again, he faces, he says, blockages: “They are all ready to save the farm, but behind there is no one who is able to give permission because the urban plans are designed in a way to strongly protect the coastline. But when we finds itself in particular cases like ours, we find ourselves stuck”.
Eight years ago, the State delegated erosion risk management to local elected officials. But the result is not satisfactory, says Olivier Cohen, lecturer in geography at the University of Littoral-Côte-d’Opale: “For some small municipalities and small intermunicipalities, it is a skill that is very heavy to bear, technically and financially. It is a heavy responsibility for certain territories”.
Thibaut Segard, the mayor of Tardinghen, feels very alone in the face of the rising sea. Erosion is not covered under natural disasters.